The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1887-02-09
A Big Blaze at Helena.
Special to the River Press.

| Special to the River Press.
HELENA, February AT about i: 30
o'clock this morning, as Officer Bashaw
walked down Bridge street on his regular
beat, he discovered light in the office of
Dewitt 6 Arnold's meat market. He i'm
mediately turned on an alarm to the fire
department and then rushed in to try to
put the fire out, which at that time might
have been done with few buckets of wa
ter; but neither bucket or water were i'm
aesliately at hand and all the time the fire
was blazing higher. The boys from the
Exchange came and did what they could
until the fire department took charge.
The next trouble was with the hydrants.
All in the neighborhood of the fire were
frozen up and water was not got until con-
nection was made at the corner Of Wall
and Main streets, where the engine was
located. Later two more streams were
turned on. The building in which the fire
started was an annex of the international
hotel, fronting about seyenty-flve feet on
same distance along Water. It was three
stories high, with brick street walls, but
the other walls were only of lath and
plaster and very infiammable. 1t was
connected with the main building on the
other side Of the street by a bridge, a
wooden tube that might have been expect
ed to carry fire like fiue. On the lower
floor of the building, beside Dewitt &
Arnold's butcher shop, was H. Loble &
Co. s dry goods store. Adjoining this
building on the Main street corner Of the
block was Chas. Lehman's grocery and
provision store. This building, of brick
and stone, took fire in very little time
after the blaze got fairly started, and with
the other was entirely consumed.
The upper portion of the international
building was devoted to hotel purposes
and contained about forty rooms. These
were mostly occupied, and when the fire
began raging fearful CONSERVATION ensued
among the guests aroused from their sleep
at that hour. Many of the rooms were
filled with smoke and the guests became
bewildered, and if lives have not been lost
it may be considered most fortunate. 1t
is hoped that no casualties have occurred.
Mr.. Lissner, the proprietor of the hotel,
says that young mali, stranger whose
name he did not know but who claimed to
be an artist, is missing, and there is pos
sibility that he may have perished. Geo.
Banilier, miner who lately came in from
Gregory, awoke in room 81 to find him.
self almost suffocated, and hurrying on a
few clothes, he jumped out Of the window
of the second story. His back was Sc
riously injured by the jump and he was
taken to the hospital. He says he forgot
nearly $500 in cash in his room and il was
lost Cap. Berry, an attache Of the Ex-
change, was nearly snffocated, and was
rescued only i'll iilne 10 save his life. Oh
ers Jumped out of the windows Or had
narrow escapes, but no other injuries are
reported.
Afs3 o'clock The fire was aaeler control,
having been confined to the international
and Lehman buildings. Mr. Lissner's loss
is about SIS, 900 on the building and some
s5, 900 on the furniture. His entire prem
ises are insured for over $4,000, of which
4 proportionate amount is on the building
burned. Chas Lehman's loss on the
OuildiIg and stock is in the neigtboriiood